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Friday, September 13, 2013

POPLARVILLE - The work of a Wiggins artist is on display at Pearl River Community College. Stained glass pieces created by Renee` King, owner of Renee`’s Glass Emporium, is on display in the Moody Hall gallery until Oct. 31. “I’ve been doing stained glass for 30 years,” King said. “My mother’s best friend taught us how to do it and I’ve progressivley built on that foundation to learn my own way of doing the glass. You have to develop your own style.” Creating the pieces takes about 15 minutes per piece of cut glass, she said. Although she designs most of her work, she also does custom glass for customers who come to her with an idea. Her work includes windows for doors, side lights, transoms, baths, kitchen cupboards and mosaics. A chance encounter between King and PRCC art instructor Charleen Null led to the exhibit. “We met up in a crafts store one day and got to talking,” Null said. “She showed me her work and I was impressed.” Null teaches PRCC students to form, grind and cut glass but doesn’t have space to teach the stained glass technique. In addition to the glass pieces, King’s exhibit includes a few of the gourds she grows and paints. “My grandmother had gourds,” she said. “I started growing them and then I found the Mississippi Gourd Society.” She participated in the society’s Sept. 20 festival in Raleigh. King also paints murals and is an award-winning seamstress. The gallery is located on the first floor of Moody Hall across the street from the Brownstone Center for the Arts.

Pearl River Community College art instructor Charleen Null, left, and Wiggins artist Renee` King talk about a stained glass mosaic that is part of King's exhibit at PRCC. The exhibit also includes gourds grown and painted by King.PRCC Public Relations photo